A Social and Legal Examination of Child Trafficking

Human trafficking has become the scourge of the 21st century, with child trafficking arguably its worst form. Yet there is only a patchwork legal regime trying to deal with child trafficking. Trafficking and the Conscience of Humanity assesses this legal regime, arguing that a more coordinated and international response is needed.

Human trafficking has become the scourge of the 21st century, with child trafficking arguably its worst form. As vulnerable children are lured into prostitution, pornography and other forms of exploitation, there is only a patchwork legal regime trying to deal with child trafficking.

This book assesses this legal regime, arguing that a more coordinated and international response is needed. Analyzing the moral and conceptual issues at stake across a wide variety of child trafficking cases – child prostitution, child pornography, forced “marriage,” corrupt “adoptions,” organ “donation,” refugee abuse, child soldiers, orphanage abuse, and “normal” parental child abuse – it goes on to argue that the crimes of child trafficking make apparent that there are conceptual, moral, and legal issues concerning child trafficking that differ from other kinds of crime including adult trafficking.

Trafficking and the Conscience of Humanity puts forward the case that the crimes of child trafficking could, and should, be prosecuted by an international court such as the International Criminal Court.